BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Remember when the electric guitar was proclaimed dead in 2017? The revival of rock’s favorite instrument is happening now, and women are the face of it.

Guitar sales are skyrocketing this year, thanks to all the extra free time people have had during the COVID-19 lockdown. It also turns out that women account for a considerable portion of those sales, with more and more girls taking up the instrument that’s stereotypically meant for men.

But women have always been rocking, and there are a ton of hot, current acts with killer female guitarists leading them. Here are seven twenty-first century female guitarists you should know:

 

Orianthi

Orianthi is a 35-year-old Australian musician who rose to prominence when she was selected to play alongside Michael Jackson during his This Is It concert tour. Unfortunately, Jackson died before Orianthi took the stage with him in front of an audience, but she’s been making a name for herself ever since. In recent years, she’s played with Alice Cooper’s touring band, released a solo single that reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, and was named one of the Top 10 Greatest Female Guitarists of All Time by Gibson Guitars.

 

St. Vincent

The most prominent female guitarist of the moment is the incomparable St. Vincent. She first picked up the instrument at age 12, 25 years later, she has a signature guitar with the manufacturer Music Man that’s become a favorite model among women. Musically, her experimental rock style is punctuated by complex, warped sounds that destroy and rebuild our guitar playing expectations.

 

Brittany Howard (from Alabama Shakes)

The Alabama Shakes frontwoman has made a name for herself with both her powerhouse vocals and skilled guitar playing. Brittany Howard started playing guitar at age 13. As a member of Alabama Shakes, she led the group to eleven Grammy nominations and four wins with her ingenious songwriting, stunning voice, and her skilled, new-age blend of rock and Americana-style guitar playing.

 

Courtney Cox 

She’s yet to release any original music of her own, but believe us — Courtney Cox (not the actress) is headed toward big things. She’s known best for playing a killer lead guitar in the Iron Maiden cover band Iron Maidens. She also recently became the first female artist to create a signature model with Caparison Guitars. Word has it that her debut solo album is on the way, and we couldn’t be more excited.

 

Kaki King

Kaki King is the female jack of all trades in the guitar world. She’s known not only for her ability to play a range of genres but for her adaptations of her instrument itself. During her wild live shows, she plays in multiple tunings on acoustic guitar, uses a complex collection of pedals to warp and changes the sound of her electric guitars, and can play steel lap and bass guitars well.

 

H.E.R.

H.E.R. is only 23 years old and already has ten Grammy nominations and two wins under her belt. She got her start at age 12 through a Radio Disney competition show, signed her first record deal at age 14, and has been blessing us with her smooth R&B style ever since. Her dreamy guitar playing adds a multidimensional groove to her funkier tracks.